Captain America #602

A customer just came in the store and asked us if we had any more copies of Captain America #602. No, he had the last copy in his hand. I asked if he wanted us to order him more copies, and he said that he doubted if we could get anymore because they are being recalled. Huh? That’s news to us!

So, as soon as we left, we started researching, and found that no, they are not being recalled at all, but they ARE going to be changing the future printings, as there is a page that can be conceived as very controversial in the current issue. You can read more about it here. Apparently, Marvel had their letterer fudge in some content to the blank protest signs, and the result is this snafu.

My first reaction as a retailer was to go out to eBay and find out if we can snag some more copies quick, but most folks have already raised prices to $9.99 with all sorts of dramatic comment about how they are being recalled, pulled from shelves, etc.

If there is a wave of demand, we haven’t yet seen it – just that one customer – and by the time we could get our hands on more, it will probably have blown by.

Retailers are always up against challenges like this. When Amazing Spider-man #583 came out with Obama on the cover, it was all the rage, so we ordered extras of that one, and of some of the other Obama comics that were out at the same time. And now they sit on our “Obama” shelf, the frenzy passed.  Would the same thing happen to this one, should we get more copies?

For me, I am just as happy as can be that comics are making the news. All attention helps.

Focus Group

On Saturday, we had our first Focus Group. I hope it is one of many. The information we gleened from the discussions was very worthwhile!

Five people came to offer their opinions and assistance, and shortly after the group ended, another came and gave us incredible suggestions! We are so grateful to everyone who attended: Rhia, Howard, Aaron, Vivian, Tom, and Leroy, and a special thank you to my dear friend, Linda Simpson, who ran the group for us.

Some of the more interesting conversations involved the anatomically incorrect drawings of comic book heroes, especially the women. And yet, as it was pointed out, the male super-heroes are more fantasy than not also. The idea is that these are the artists’ fantasies of ideals. At some point in the near future, I will devote a whole blog post to this subject, as it fascinates me.

Some great ideas that were presented to us are things that we really wanted to do anyway, and now we have clearer avenues. I have wanted to do more regarding using comics in education for quite some time, and we had two teachers in the room, one was a teacher of English and the other of special ed. Both saw the role of comics in their particular classrooms as very different, whereas one would use them as a springboard for teaching about symbolism in literature and the other would use them to interest students in reading. I advocate both usages and I am excited to be a part of making this happen.

I really learned a lot, and even managed to video-tape segments of the discussion, so stay tuned to our site for showings.

Spider-Man Reboot: Is this really a bad thing?

So, let me preface this by saying that I enjoyed all three Spider-Man films by Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and company. The first movie proved that you don’t need to completely redesign a superhero’s costume for the big screen, and that sticking to the source material really isn’t a bad idea. Spider-Man 2 proved that you can tell an interesting movie with a relatively uninteresting villain. Spider-Man 3 proved that there really can be too much of a good thing.

Do I want more Spider-Man movies? Absolutely. Do I want more Spider-Man movies by Sam Raimi and friends? Meh, not particularly.

I think the Raimi Trilogy was absolutely wonderful. The whole series tells a great story involving Peter, MJ, and Harry, their interactions with each other, and all three movies really hammer home the “With great power comes great responsibility” theme, especially with the villains. But, basically, they did the three biggest Spider-Man villains, and anybody that they do from here isn’t really enough to fill a full movie – Can The Rhino really carry a 90-120 minute film, all by himself? Hardly. Nor could Electro, the Lizard, or the Vulture.

Possibly to rectify this situation, reportedly, Sony pictures wanted to make a film with two villains. Raimi refused, citing that the reception to the third movie wasn’t as positive to the first two (despite the more profitable opening weekend); Without fail, the comic movies that focus on just one villain (or, in the case of X-Men, one major villain with some assorted henchmen) are always of better quality than the ones that have two. The Dark Knight is the best of all the Batman movies, and I would argue that Batman ‘89 comes in second, even above Batman Begins. And that’s not because The Joker is in both movies, but because each one only has a single villain (because, while Two-Face is present in TDK, he’s not really a proper villain, as much as a pawn in Joker’s plans), which is easier to follow than Batman Returns (which had Penguin and Catwoman), or Batman Forever (Riddler and Two-Face), or Batman & Robin (Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy). Hell, Batman Begins had two R’as Al Ghuls AND The Scarecrow! Far too complex.

So, in the wake of Raimi bailing on the project, due to these creative differences, Sony has announced a reboot to the franchise, focusing on Spider-Man’s time in high school, and it’s to be directed by (500) Days of Summer’s Marc Webb. I haven’t seen (500) Days of Summer, but I have heard naught but positive reviews for the film.

Is a full-on reboot necessary? I don’t necessarily think so. However, I do think that the story that Raimi & company were telling has run its course, and it’s time for something else. I don’t think I really want to see more of Tobey Maguire (now 35) and Kirsten Dunst (who will be 28 this year) angsting over each other anymore. We’ve had three movies of that story; Let’s move on to something else.

I think the best direction for Spider-Man is to find a new cast and to start telling random adventures of the webhead and his friends. And we could get more into Parker’s personal life. Let’s see some stories about Peter trying to date Betty Brant. That, combined with Mysterio could fill up an entire movie. Pete trying to get involved with Felicia Hardy while Spidey gets involved with The Black Cat while they take on somebody like The Kraven the Hunter could have interesting possibilities.

But, I think that Sony distancing themselves from the Raimi trilogy and moving on to something else is a good idea. It’ll breathe a breath of fresh air into the franchise. And, besides – I’d rather have SOME Spider-Man movie on the horizon than none at all.

Wal-Marvels

My friend Gail, of Gail Keith Marketing, posted this article to our Facebook account today: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9110

Wal-Marvel Comics

What a sight! I would love to see such an array of folks in our store. Some one of these days, we need to run a costume contest and take a picture of all of the contestants. That would be a lot of fun, I think. In fact, it’s been way too long since we did something like that.

Stay tuned. You may be hearing about something soon…..

The Man of Steel as an American Icon

When I was a young girl, I used to love watching the Superman shows on TV that starred George Reeves. I would tune in to every show, and watch them avidly. I think I even had a bit of a crush on Clark Kent. I was so thrilled when a friend of mine taught me how to draw Superman flying, and I would draw this icon everywhere, doodling on school papers, on the back of envelopes, anything to keep that spirit alive in me. I had no idea that someday I would own a comic book store!

Tonight I was reading through some master’s degree theses on comic books (http://www.comicsresearch.org/ComicsDissertations-masters.html) and I was particularly struck with a thesis done by Joseph James Darowski entitled The American Way: What Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men Reveal about America. Right away, Darowski talks about how Superman burst on the scene as early as 1938, making an impact that over 70 years later, is still going strong.

He goes on to reveal all of the ways that Superman has pervaded our culture in a myriad of media forms. He has an iconic stature that has woven its way into the hearts of Americans. The S Shield is well-known and instantly recognized. In fact, if you haven’t seen it yet, we have a new Superman sign at our store, which broadcasts to the world that we are a comic book store. What says it better?

Our new Superman Sign

Darowski goes on to talk about the fact that Superman represents America’s new mythology, a theme I highly support, and with which I agree. Superman exhibits the characteristics that have made our country great – he arrives from another planet to live a better life, he upholds the American ideals of truth and justice, maintains a balance between civilization and freedom, and even his suit reflects the patriotism of the United States in its red and blue color.

To this day, Superman comics reflect the struggles of the American people. The present story line has him living on another planet, trying to adjust to a lifestyle that is decidedly NOT American, and this powerful icon has been arrested for treason. Meanwhile, America struggles with its own problems. Oh bring him back to help us in these times. America needs Superman more than New Krypton does!

GREG CAPULLO to take over art on HAUNT

Comic Book Resources (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24445) announced yesterday that Ryan Ottley is stepping down from the pencils on HAUNT, the new title written by Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman, and he will be replaced by Greg Capüllo. Ottley cites the pressure of pencilling two monthly titles as being too much work for him; I can’t blame him. Trying to do your best work while dividing your mind between two completely separate styles of storytelling could easily drive somebody to insanity!

As it was, HAUNT’s creative team was rather unusual – Kirkman and McFarlane wrote the book, Greg Capüllo (SPAWN, CREECH) did layouts, Ottley did pencils, and McFarlane was on digital inks. McFarlane is no stranger to inking other peoples’ work – He inked his own stuff for a long time, spent years inking Capüllo’s work on SPAWN, and, recently has been doing digital inks over Whilce Portacio’s pencils on SPAWN. But, Ottley’s best known for his work on INVINCIBLE (another Kirkman title from Image), and so HAUNT looked nothing like the artwork from either Ottley, Capüllo, or McFarlane. It was too dark to fit Ottley’s general cheery, cartoony style, and too cartoony and cheery to fit the usual work of Capüllo and McFarlane.

So, taking Ottley out of the equation, in fact, may be what the book needs to really stand out and look more like what its cover advertises. I know that the clash of art styles is what kept me away from the book. Capüllo takes over with issue 6, to be released in March, allowing the first arc to be completed by Ottley.

Maybe now’s a good time to look into the series. I’ve always been a fan of Capüllo’s work, especially when he’s drawing for Todd. I’ll give the first arc a try and let you know how it goes, Zoners.

$1.00 comics from Marvel

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Marvel have just announced a line of new comics that will be priced at just $1.00 to try and expand sales of current comics to new readers.

Official Press Release

Start Here With The Next Wave of Marvel’s Greatest Comics For Only $1.00!

Marvel is proud to announce the next wave of Marvel’s Greatest Comics imprint, spotlighting Marvel’s most-acclaimed series with new printings for only $1.00! Providing the perfect jumping-on point for new readers and a great low cost first chapter to some of the hottest selling Marvel Collected editions for retailers, Marvel’s Greatest Comics heats up in April with the following titles:

April 7: WOLVERINE #66
April 14: HULK #1
April 21: NEW AVENGERS #1
April 28: CIVIL WAR #1

“With the increased mainstream attention on comics and the new readers entering stores, Marvel wants to make sure everyone gets a chance to read our best titles,” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation. “Marvel’s Greatest Comics allows fans to discover new series at a low price while also providing retailers with product they can stock on their shelves for years.”

Stay tuned for more details on Marvel’s Greatest Comics at www.marvel.com!

Not a bad idea. So, the issues we’re offered are the first part of WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN (WOLVERINE #66), the first issue of Jeph Loeb’s current HULK run, NEW AVENGERS #1, and CIVIL WAR #1. Those are all pretty popular books, which would give new readers something to talk about with people who’re already reading those titles.

I’ve noticed that since DC’s Vertigo imprint started doing $1.00 number 1 issues, sales on Vertigo books have gone up, overall. Giving readers a taste of what the book is about for a buck isn’t a bad idea, and certainly entices people to take a risk. After all, a dollar for the first issue stings a lot less than $3.99.

Here’s hoping that Marvel and DC both start offering more #1 issues at a lower price point to get readers hooked on a series.

Pitching to a different crowd

Comic Zone had a presence at the 3rd Friday Gallery Walk. We felt like experts as we set up our tables and comic books. We had chosen our selection with care, and didn’t bring quite as much merchandise with us as we had for 1st Friday. As a result, we were set up relatively quickly.

We noticed immediately that there was a big difference from 1st Friday. For one, the streets weren’t closed off. We were able to park on the street RIGHT in front of our tables. I was much more relaxed knowing I could keep an eye on the car, not to mention that I left many personal things IN the car, knowing I could retrieve them as I needed. Unloading was MUCH easier. No lugging many boxes and tables from behind the house in the back alley.

Another big difference was that there were hardly any people walking the street. On 1st Friday, we saw a steady stream of folks. On 3rd Friday, not so much. And the folks that did pass by didn’t glance our way much at all. They were a different crowd. Not as bohemian, not as artsy, and most seemed like they had a mission to get to their destination. *sigh*

Thirdly, our hostess, Maryana, didn’t show up. Due to a few bizarre twists of fate, no one was there to open up the host house! But, we didn’t really mind. Between the Conspire coffee shop and the Lost Leaf, we were able to take care of our needs.

Given all of that, however, we still had a blast! A few people stopped by, and right near the beginning of the evening, one young man gushed and practically drooled over the comics. You could tell that he is definitely a comic book reader, and was so very excited to find out that we would be selling comics on 1st Fridays from now on. His enthusiasm was very welcome, and in fact, kept us warm for quite a while after.

We made a few sales. We talked to some great folks. We gave out business cards. So, more people know about the store. More people know about US. And we had a good time catering to a fun bunch of people.

We had decided to pack up around 11:30, when I got caught up in a great conversation with a couple of guys who were also into real estate investing. We actually didn’t break down until nearly midnight.

On Saturday, my butt was dragging. I never knew how much sitting outside in the cold for 8 hours or so saps your energy!

All in all, it was a great experience. We’ll just have to learn how to pitch to a different crowd on 3rd Fridays.

I Have Issues

We had Tom Healy and Shaun Kronenfeld from I Have Issues in the store on Wednesday. This was their first visit to the store, and I was happy to hear that they liked what they saw. They did their show, and hung out with us for a bit, and then went on their way. The show aired on Friday. You can see it here: http://blip.tv/file/3091468

Enjoy!

What a first week!

Well, if you want to start the new year right, Marvel and DC certainly delivered in 2010.

BLACKEST NIGHT #6 dealt with the end of issue #5 in a fun, imaginative way, and the cliffhanger ending is absolutely fantastic – And it leaves me wondering how the events of this issue will affect the outcome of FLASH REBIRTH. Way to upsell me, DC! Will Barry Allen continue down the path of this issue, or will his change only be for the referenced 24 hours?

Meanwhile, on the Marvel side of things, SIEGE starts up this week. A four-issue event crossover is a lot easier to swallow than the 7 or 8 issues we’ve gotten the last few years, and we’re able to get right to the point. And the wonderful Bendis banter that I would’ve loved to see IN the issue is added to the back – I especially liked Bullseye/Hawkeye’s deal about how just the one God, Ares, was able to get him to shut up, and Asgard is a whole city of Gods. Absolutely brilliant.

I’m excited to see where both of these events go. The conclusions for both stories can’t get here soon enough! Good thing April is only a few months away!

Sadly, between WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, and X-Men’s SECOND COMING, nothing in 2010 looks quite as exciting as what’s going on right now. Hopefully Marvel and DC can change my mind as the year progresses!

And if you’re not checking out IMAGE UNITED, what’re you waiting for? The Image Universe is finally becoming cohesive! Spawn, the Savage Dragon, Youngblood, Cyberforce, Witchblade, Shadowhawk, Invincible, and more are all finally sharing a world, and everybody is being drawn by their respective creators, so you’re guaranteed the “proper” versions of everybody. IMAGE UNITED is a total blast. Get up in that.

Peace.